2018-10-19 Mount Constitution Loop Hike

After camping in Moran State Park (walk-up or reservation, $20-30), I parked at the Mount Constitution trailhead (Discover Pass) and started hiking at 8:30 AM.

Moran State Park

The trail to Mount Constitution was steep in places and I was glad that I was going up in this direction. The forest was quiet, open, and mossy.

As I hiked along the southeast ridge of the mountain, I could see that the surrounding water was blanketed in low clouds, making for a very pretty and cozy view. I made it to the summit at 10 AM and spent some time enjoying the view and exploring the lookout tower.

View from the Mount Constitution Lookout Tower

For the second half of the loop, I crossed the parking lot and took the trail toward Twin Lakes. The grade on this side was gentler with multiple switchbacks, which sadly all had eroding cutoff trails (if you didn’t know, reader, cutting off switchbacks hurts the health of the trails you love). The Twin Lakes were small and calm. It’s easy to get turned around on the intersecting web of trails on this loop, so I recommend bringing a GPS or GPS app (like Gaia or Peakbagger).

Turn right here

I turned right (south) toward Mountain Lake which was large and deep blue.

Mountain Lake

I went around the right (west) side of the lake toward the Mountain Lake Landing and eventually reached the Twin Lakes trailhead, which had amenities. Then I walked up the road a ways until I reached a campsite, and then went behind a cute shelter where there was a lesser-used trail marked “Little Summit”.

I had a brief climb before quickly reaching my car. If, like me, you’re bummed out by a steep climb at the end of your hike, you might want to consider starting your hike in the same direction (clockwise), but at this trailhead instead. Altogether this was a fun and peaceful hike that is probably quite nice year-round.